The body of a French commando missing after a failed, U.S.-assisted raid Friday to free a French intelligence agent held for three years by Al-Shabaab was displayed in gruesome Twitter images today.

The terrorist taunts come just as the Obama administration plans to hail its progress in Somalia this week in Washington with the first visit of the Horn of Africa country’s new leader.

Paris had warned that their serviceman was believed dead and that the al-Qaeda-linked terror group would be broadcasting the news in the social media format as loved by PR-evolved terrorists as teenagers.

“The commander was deserted by his comrades after a fierce firefight and subsequently captured by the Mujahideen,” Al-Shabaab said in a press release. “HSM paramedic teams arrived at the scene shortly after the firefight had ended and transferred him to a hospital at the base, but he succumbed to his injuries hours later.” The photos don’t show any dressing of wounds, and visible trauma to his face suggests he was beaten.

They claimed the slain Frenchman was leading the rescue operation. “The Mujahideen recovered several weapons and the soldier’s gear from the scene of battle and later also managed to retrieve valuable information from the soldier before his death. The body of the soldier is still within the custody of the Mujahideen.”

The terrorist organization followed by tweeting a series of three photos of the commando’s body, with taunting messages including “François Hollande, was it worth it?” and “A return of the crusades, but the cross could not save him from the sword.”

It appears as if those taking the photos pulled over his collar the silver cross pendant the commando was faithfully wearing on a chain around his neck.

For Washington, though, the U.S.-assisted raid nearly disappeared from thought in the hours after President Obama notified Congress of the military action Sunday evening in accordance with the War Powers Resolution.

“United States forces provided limited technical support to the French forces in that operation, but took no direct part in the assault on the compound where it was believed the French citizen was being held hostage,” Obama wrote.

“United States combat aircraft briefly entered Somali airspace to support the rescue operation, if needed. These aircraft did not employ weapons during the operation. The U.S. forces that supported this operation left Somalia by approximately 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 11, 2013.”

In lieu of a Jay Carney daily press briefing today, Obama stepped out for a news conference dominated by the debt ceiling and gun control. Congressional reaction to the Somalia raid was muted to nonexistent. And the State Department tried to deflect questions to the Pentagon, which didn’t have a briefing today.

Having spoken and written English for a lot of my too many years, I probably would have gone with “not fully successful” or some such, but I can live with “failed”.

Militarily, the French did manage to penetrate Al-Shabaab’s deep rear and sent a dozen and a half or so of its guys back to the allah-dude. That’s a day’s work in the wonderful world of the infantry. That will give the locals something new to think about in terms of where and when and what especially if there are no more live hostages.

But for me, Islam is the millstone. If your plan doesn’t include constraining, undermining, or eradicating Islam, you don’t have a plan. What you have is a hope.

Strange, but when George W. Bush was president, al Qaeda wasn’t making all of these advances in places like Libya, Mali, Somalia, Syria, and in other spots all along North Africa and in the Middle East (especially in Pakistan). Why is that? Could it be that Bush and Cheney were actually WINNING the war against al Qaeda and terrorism the way THEY were fighting it, as a WAR and not as a police matter? Instead, Obama and the Europeans are treating terrorism as a never-ending police matter, with the same results we had prior to 9/11/2001. I guess the world hasn’t learned much since the first 9/11, at least not here in the United States.

Iraq was a practice lesson for AQ in how to use guerilla tactics against a more powerful conventional military. They are very good at that now. Those fighters and the people they have trained are doing very well as conventional forces in Syria, Mali and elsewhere.

Bush’s biggest mistake was thinking that democracy was a good idea in the ME.

“Gaggling with the media en route to Lisbon, Portugal, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said he’s “been in discussions with the minister of defense and will continue to have those discussions” about what else France may need from the U.S., particularly in its fight against al-Qaeda in Mali,”

Chuckles Hagel will simply ask to have a dialogue with AQ. And not call them terrorists.

“Failed” is NOT a bridge to far. The purpose of the raid was to rescue the hostage. If 10 French soldiers were killed and the hostage rescued then the raid was a success! However, if the hostage dies the raid “failed.”

That said, it was a brave and valiant effort worthy of praise and songs and movies! Who could have imagined a Socialist French President would be the only power willing and able to stand up for the world and against Islamist terrorists. We should be helping our French allies.

It kind of puts a little different kind of spin on the French opposition to Gulf War II a/k/a the Iraqi Quagmire.